Archive for April, 2011

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  Thoughts on Jetstar’s discrimination - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  When Jetstar refused two people the right to fly because they use wheelchairs and didn’t have two caregivers, it raised the endless and ongoing issue of discrimination against people with disabilities. The debate is not new. It has taken years for disability activists to work with the airlines to ensure access onto all kinds of [...] read more
  April 13, 2011 5:24 pm - 8 Comments
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  Mangatainoka River – April 3, 2011 - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Mangatainoka River has been made famous by Tui with their beer ads – scantily dressed women supposedly frolicking in the river near the brewery. Well, it’s true that the Mangatainoka is near the brewery, but it is heavily polluted so I don’t reckon they frolicked in the river itself. As recently as January 18, [...] read more
  April 13, 2011 2:35 pm - 5 Comments
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  Three cheers for the good cops - by frog

  
  
  
  The Police are often criticised for looking after their own and covering up criminal or inappropriate behaviour by fellow officers.  The nadir was the 2007 conviction of former Police Inspector John Dewar for covering up the original rape allegations by Louise Nicholas against former officers Brad Shipton, Bob Schollum and Clint Rickards. So it was [...] read more
  April 13, 2011 12:10 pm - 38 Comments
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  Paying for CBD rail and Christchurch - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Lately I’ve had quite a few people ask me whether it’s realistic to continue pushing for the government to fund the CBD rail loop in the after-math of the Christchurch earthquake. I can understand what they’re thinking. After all, the CBD rail loop is an expensive project and the reconstruction of Christchurch will also cost [...] read more
  April 13, 2011 11:05 am - 1 Comment
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  Challenging global military spending - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
    The Global Day of Action Against Military Spending is being marked today, April 12th. Last year the world military budget was US$1,630 billion, with America well ahead of other nations. It spent US$698 billion, six times its nearest rival China on US$114 billion. Adding to the scandal, the US spends 20 times as much [...] read more
  April 12, 2011 10:29 pm - 8 Comments
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  Improving the latest Earthquake Recovery Bill - by frog

  
  
  
  We want to give Cantabrians all the help they need to rebuild their earthquake-ravaged city, but the Bill in front of Parliament today doesn’t do the job. There’s too much power vested in too few people for too long. We very cautiously supported the first recovery Bill last year while flagging serious constitutional concerns. But the Canterbury [...] read more
  April 12, 2011 3:57 pm - 11 Comments
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  It’s only a song, Simon - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  National MP Simon Bridges says he hopes “we never see Tiki Taane in Tauranga again.” This was after the award-winning singer was arrested while performing at Tauranga’s Illuminati nightclub on Sunday morning. Apparently his “crime” to was provide a musical background – singing the well-known rap song F*** tha Police – during a Police visit [...] read more
  April 12, 2011 1:36 pm - 51 Comments
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  Petrobras activists are heroes - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I think the activists, some of them friends of mine, floating in the ocean to stop the Petrobras seismic testing ship are heroes. They are extraordinarily brave to put their bodies, and possibly criminal records, on the line. If the Crown Law experts decide there is some law they’ve broken by swimming in the ocean, [...] read more
  April 12, 2011 11:16 am - 84 Comments
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  Mokau River – March 29, 2011 - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Mokau River, in north Taranaki, is a gem of a river. It rises as a spring in the magical Pureora forest south of Te Kuiti, a forest that is home of the last of the ancient totara. Mokau is hidden in a limestone gorge as and rushes down steep rapids before flattening out for [...] read more
  April 12, 2011 10:43 am - 10 Comments
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  Tiki Taane and the Police: Straight Outta Compton - by frog

  
  
  
  Stuff reports: Chart-topping New Zealand singer Tiki Taane is due to appear in the Tauranga District Court on Friday after being arrested in the city early yesterday. He was performing a gig at Illuminati on Harrington Street when police arrested him. Taane is charged with disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence to start or continue. [...] read more
  April 11, 2011 5:46 pm - 59 Comments
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  Ultra-Fast Broadband truce - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Better broadband is essential for New Zealand’s future. Everyone agrees with that, but no one, it seems, is happy with the direction the Government is taking to achieve it. An impressive number of telcos and industry watchdogs have joined together today to oppose the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) plan because of its negative impacts on [...] read more
  April 11, 2011 4:57 pm - No Comments
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  General debate, April 10, 2011 - by frog

  
  
  
  read more
  April 10, 2011 7:31 am - 85 Comments
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  Our advantage is low wages, says Bill English - by frog

  
  
  
  Remember all that talk of “catching up with Australia“? It was a big part of Nationals rhetoric in the 2008 election, followed by the Don Brash 2025 Taskforce, etc? Bill English: …over the next few years New Zealand’s advantages would become more apparent. “One is the wage differential. We have a workforce that is better [...] read more
  April 9, 2011 10:08 am - 36 Comments
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  Sharks need a better PR strategy - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Sharks suffer from bad PR. Just this week the Kaikoura District Council voted 7-1 to paint over a local mural because it features a basking shark, which local tourist operators thought may ‘scare’ tourists. Never mind that basking sharks are endangered, protected in New Zealand and are gentle filter-feeders (not man-eaters). Sharks are amazing animals [...] read more
  April 9, 2011 9:34 am - 6 Comments
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  Earth. Let’s not frak it up - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  It’s Armageddon this weekend! The Green Party will be at this weekend’s Armageddon pop culture expo in Wellington running a stall with this Battlestar Galactica-themed banner encouraging people to enrol to vote in this year’s General Election. Come join candidates James Shaw, Tane Woodley and me, at the Green stall where we’ll be hoping for [...] read more
  April 9, 2011 9:02 am - 4 Comments
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  Greens could lead Government in Germany, and here… - by frog

  
  
  
  The Greens are now the largest opposition party in Germany, according to a poll commissioned by news magazine Stern. Support for the center-left environmentalist party has risen to 28 percent, seven points higher than in the previous survey. The Social Democrats (SPD), traditionally Germany’s largest center-left party, are polling at 23 percent. Add up the numbers! read more
  April 8, 2011 6:46 pm - 9 Comments
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  Peering into the Abyss: The Red Zone of Christchurch - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Yet nothing prepares you for the inner city. It is not the destruction, for not all buildings are (yet) down. It is the scene, the ambience, of pure desolation. read more
  April 8, 2011 2:59 pm - 3 Comments
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  Paula Bennett: Celebrating social policy failure while refusing to answer questions on Christchurch - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Yesterday, the Minister of Social Development and Employment issued this bizarre media release: Recently released figures show that Work and Income are helping more people in need says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett. “Special Needs Grants for hardship have increased by over 50 per cent since March 2008,” says Ms Bennett. “So yes, that does [...] read more
  April 8, 2011 12:02 pm - 7 Comments
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  How bicycle lanes brought down Nazi Germany - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  A Friday funny. If only it could be true of this Government too (sigh): read more
  April 8, 2011 11:13 am - 3 Comments
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  Pink Shirt Day on April 14th - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  You know you have one. Time to get it out. Russel Norman says I have to iron mine. April 14th is Pink Shirt Day, a day when everyone around the country is encouraged to make a visual display of our abhorrence of bullying. read more
  April 7, 2011 11:29 am - 5 Comments