Archive for July, 2010

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  Beneficiary-bashing Bill back in Parliament, and worse than ever - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Paula Bennett’s draconian Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill has been reported back to Parliament by the Social Services Select Committee.  Despite overwhelming opposition to the Bill by submitters, the National Party used its majority on the Select Committee to report it back largely unchanged. They even decided to recommend a harsher reduction of benefit regime for [...] read more
  July 31, 2010 5:11 pm - 85 Comments
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  Porkies on the Pork Board? - by frog

  
  
  
  Yesterday Sue Kedgley asked Agriculture Minister David Carter some questions in Parliament about allegations that the Pork Industry Board was deliberately attempting to evade the Official Information Act with respect to information about animal welfare in piggeries. Sue’s question followed a leaked email from the Pork Industry Board: read more
  July 30, 2010 3:16 pm - 27 Comments
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  Labour’s eerily familiar water campaign - by frog

  
  
  
  They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I guess we should be flattered by this leaflet from Labour MP Brendon Burns which appeared at the Christchurch eco-show: Not only is the image of Mr Burns rafting the Hurunui River strangely similar to many of those from Russel’s Dirty Rivers Rafting Tour… …but [...] read more
  July 29, 2010 1:24 pm - 21 Comments
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  Banks’ bus-lane plan utter madness - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  If you’ve been reading the Herald lately you might feel that anything anybody could ever want to say about bus-lanes has been said already. To summarise, right now a lot of people in Auckland are being ticketed for moving into a bus-lane more than 50 meters (the legally allowed maximum) before they need to turn [...] read more
  July 29, 2010 10:53 am - 11 Comments
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  Government dodges on disease of poverty - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Sometimes the House is frustrating. I succeeded in my bid for a question today, but when we have two primary questions in a day we don’t get any more supplementary questions added to us. My boss had question 2 and mine was 11 and, since the Gallery journalists start drifting off after about 5 questions, [...] read more
  July 29, 2010 9:40 am - 50 Comments
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  Cold and damp or warm and healthy? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Renting? What’s your flat like? If you are like a huge number of tenants renting, chances are your flat is cold, damp and unhealthy. The poor state of our rental housing is one of the biggest issues facing students, the young, the elderly and our poorest and most vulnerable. I’m in Dunedin tomorrow, thermometer in [...] read more
  July 28, 2010 10:55 pm - 22 Comments
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  Overseas ownership of land – Bill and Natural Dairy - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  This has become a bit of a live issue for the Govt. Originally when the review of overseas investment rules was announced Bill English and John Key made it clear that they wanted to weaken the rules protecting land from overseas ownership. Now they seem to be backtracking after the Greens and others have been [...] read more
  July 28, 2010 6:52 pm - 56 Comments
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  MMP, 2011 election, and Rugby World Cup – theory kicked to touch - by frog

  
  
  
  The conjecture that the feel good factor of the All Blacks winning the World Cup would translate to significant wins for John Key and MMP doesn’t measure up to a close reading of the research. Brian Rudman in New Zealand Herald today ran a story that Professors’ Healy, Malhotra and Mo had found a correlation [...] read more
  July 28, 2010 4:16 pm - 7 Comments
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  Dialogue with he of closed ears: Thanking Mr Brownlee for his insights - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  I had occasion today to speak in the Budget Debate. What an inspiring eye-opener. The Budget was, of course, introduced by Finance Minister, Bill English on 20 May. The debate has spluttered along, on and off to reflect the changing weekly priorities of the Government in Parliament. The final stage is this week. read more
  July 28, 2010 3:31 pm - 19 Comments
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  General Debate 28th July 2010 - by frog

  
  
  
  read more
  July 28, 2010 9:27 am - 32 Comments
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  Youth MP speeches — Jack McDonald - by frog

  
  
  
  Earlier in the month parliament was over-run by youth MPs. Our youth MPs spoke about a range of topics and their speeches will be posted over the next couple of weeks. First one up is Jack McDonald who was Sue Kedlgey’s youth MP. He mihi nunui ki te Whare Pāremata e whakawhaiti nei i te [...] read more
  July 27, 2010 4:52 pm - 108 Comments
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  Collecting for Women’s Refuge - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Another year and we still have to do street collections for Women’s Refuge. The epidemic of male violence continues in this so-called modern world. However big ups to Trina and the others in the Greens’ Parliamentary office who organised our team to collect on Lambton Quay all day in the freezing cold on Friday! I [...] read more
  July 27, 2010 1:46 pm - 27 Comments
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  Fast-track the CBD rail loop - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Keith and I launched our Fast-track the CBD Rail Loop campaign today at Britomart – we had some great speakers and  I’m stoked to be promoting such an awesome transport project. I also had a chat to Sean Plunket about the loop today on Morning Report which was great. I’ve written a piece about the [...] read more
  July 26, 2010 8:11 pm - 43 Comments
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  Doing the business with businesses - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  July has been a busy month so far, especially for my small business portfolio.  On Monday 5th July I hosted a Smart Business breakfast in Christchurch. It was a  cosy meeting (despite the frosty morning!) at the ‘Under the Red Verandah’ cafe  with a diverse bunch of people including representatives from the renewable energy sector, coffee  roasting  industry [...] read more
  July 26, 2010 12:08 pm - 9 Comments
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  Good news for Wellie commuters, now fast track Auckland too - by frog

  
  
  
  A third main line has been opened that will significantly increase capacity in and out of Wellington station.  Although the works aren’t entirely complete, from this week rail commuters should be benefiting from increased reliability and frequency. This is great news for all commuters.  As more people are able to take the train, there is [...] read more
  July 26, 2010 10:18 am - 5 Comments
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  Another link in the Auckland cycleway chain! - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I really enjoyed attending the opening of the Mt Roskill cycleway along SH20 with Keith yesterday morning. It’s great to see the completion of another important link in the city’s cycleways. The cycleway was developed by Auckland City Council staff working closely in co-operation with local iwi and I think they have done a fantastic [...] read more
  July 26, 2010 9:12 am - 1 Comment
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  Chillin’ out max and relaxin’ on the cool - by frog

  
  
  
  I don’t usually go for glamour shots, but here is a photo of me recovering from my Saturday night. Have a good week everybody! read more
  July 26, 2010 9:00 am - 5 Comments
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  I can’t write satire, but Secret Agent ‘Lhaws’ can - by frog

  
  
  
  I’m a rather boring political blogger. I like to look at the evidence, see if it supports the political spin, and comment accordingly. But it seems we have a ‘secret agent” in the Greens who can write very clever satire, at least on mining. The agent’s under cover name is “Lhaws” read more
  July 25, 2010 9:16 pm - 4 Comments
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  Attacks on unions are attacks on wages - by frog

  
  
  
  It pays to join the union, but John Key and his Government are doing their utmost to undermine that. The Government’s industrial relations reforms announced last week contain two very disturbing attacks of the ability of unions to organise and negotiate. read more
  July 25, 2010 10:02 am - 6 Comments
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  General Debate 24th July 2010 - by frog

  
  
  
  As per phil u’s request read more
  July 24, 2010 11:10 am - 41 Comments