john key Archive

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  US pressures NZ to tailor legislation for trade access - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  According to a report from Radio NZ, a (nameless) United States congressman was happy to tell delegates that if New Zealand wanted to get anywhere with the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement then we may need to alter our intellectual property laws. read more
  March 9, 2011 5:00 pm - 6 Comments
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  Paying to rebuild – cuts vs levy - by frog

  
  
  
  John Key’s Government is now openly talking about cuts to Working for Families to pay for the cost of earthquake rebuilding. As Russel pointed out yesterday, we think a small, temporary earthquake levy would be a much better and fairer way of funding the rebuilding. Depending on how you set it, it would raise between [...] read more
  March 4, 2011 4:42 pm - 23 Comments
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  Privatisation is not a hit – not even at Kiwiblog - by frog

  
  
  
  Even among those on the right who will dominate participation in Kiwiblog internet polls, there is no majority support for partial privatisation of the energy SOEs. A scientific 3 News Reid Research poll is showing public opposition to partial privatisation as high as 60%. Which makes sense really, because the idea is sheer economic lunacy. read more
  February 22, 2011 8:51 am - 44 Comments
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  Key keeps digging on BMW fleet purchase - by frog

  
  
  
  Is John Key really expecting anyone to believe that his Government’s shambolic handling of the BMW fleet purchase was caused by Private Kirifi Mila’s death in Afghanistan and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s visit? “What I can say is it wasn’t helped by the death (of Private Kirifi Mila). Also the (Australian PM Julia) Gillard [...] read more
  February 21, 2011 12:15 pm - 39 Comments
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  National Standards race to nowhere - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Yesterday, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard visited our Parliament and promoted free trade agreements with all the fervour of the faithful. This position was predictable, but less well known is her stance on education. Julia is the leader who imposed the Australian version of National Standards on Australian schools against the wishes of the teachers’ unions. read more
  February 17, 2011 10:31 am - 21 Comments
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  “Greens’ vigilance on Gillard merits praise” – John Armstrong - by frog

  
  
  
  Here’s John Armstrong’s view on Julia Gillard addressing Parliament, as published in the NZ Herald this morning. Greens’ vigilance on Gillard merits praise – John Armstrong The Greens have got some unwarranted stick for blocking Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard from addressing Parliament while it is officially in session. They were right to do so. [...] read more
  February 15, 2011 10:17 am - 8 Comments
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  President Hosni Mubarak’s dilemma - by frog

  
  
  
  Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak is obviously troubled by a decision he has to make: I would suggest “Go” is the only viable option. He can take the billions of dollars he has stolen from the Egyptian people to Italy, or to Israel (even they would probably welcome him as an exile), and let Egypt get [...] read more
  February 11, 2011 6:47 pm - 13 Comments
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  Nats’ work-first welfare all stick and no carrot - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Last week I got quite a response to my post on crime and access to welfare, so I thought I would write a little more about why many beneficiaries can’t get ahead financially without breaking the law, however hard they may try. I’ve had a look at what happens to a single sickness beneficiary aged [...] read more
  February 9, 2011 2:46 pm - 27 Comments
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  For my Father - by frog

  
  
  
  Metiria just delivered a powerful and tear jerking speech about her father and her journey into politics. Her personal story illustrates the need to build a fairer society in New Zealand for our children and grandchildren. Here are some of the highlights I used the training incentive allowance to help with study costs, I shared [...] read more
  February 8, 2011 4:03 pm - 13 Comments
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  Key lets down the Egyptian people - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  Most New Zealanders have been inspired by the huge mobilisation of Egyptians against the Mubarak dictatorship. “Mubarak must go now” has been the cry from the streets, but not from the White House – or the Beehive. When street protests began Hillary Clinton asked Mubarak to bring in ‘reforms’. As the protests grew American officials [...] read more
  February 3, 2011 10:32 am - 44 Comments
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  State of the Planet speech 2011 - by frog

  
  
  
  Last Sunday Russel gave the annual State of the Planet speech to a packed and excited crowd at Te Mahurehure Marae in Auckland. It was a great and powerful speech that clearly defined the Green vision for Aotearoa. Russel also attacked National and Labour for bludging off our grandchildren and pulling the ladder of opportunity [...] read more
  February 3, 2011 9:22 am - 11 Comments
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  Can you pick the odd man out? - by frog

  
  
  
  “Boorish and unbecoming of a Prime Minister” was Sue Kedgley’s take on John Key’s Radio Sport interview with Tony Veitch in which the PM revealed his sexual fantasies. I’m with Sue on this one. read more
  February 2, 2011 1:47 pm - 47 Comments
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  ECE vs motorways – which is the better investment? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  John Key’s cuts to early childhood education come into affect today. John Key says don’t worry, it will only effect centres with the most qualified staff. Very reassuring! Meanwhile fees will go up and kids will miss out. NZEI has launched a petition today urging the Government to reverse the ECE cuts, and the Greens [...] read more
  February 1, 2011 12:46 pm - 99 Comments
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  Welfare Working Group: Submit, submit, submit - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  It’s great to see the lively discussion continuing on my post last week about the future directions of welfare policy. There is a view being circulated by some that the Government’s Welfare Working Group’s Options Paper doesn’t deserve much attention; that it follows the Brash 2025 Taskforce formula of misrepresenting the issue as some massive [...] read more
  December 1, 2010 4:28 pm - 122 Comments
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  Could it finally be bedtime for Bonzo Brash? - by frog

  
  
  
  I am thoroughly sick of hearing failed National Party Leader Don Brash’s world view.  It is lamentably and consistently the “3 R’s”: Ronald (Reagan), Roger (Douglas) and Racism. Brash covered all fields in his latest Return to Orewa effort, setting out the same divisive economic and racial agenda that back in 2005 lost him the [...] read more
  November 30, 2010 6:44 pm - 18 Comments
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  What are our MPs listening to? Latest podcast - by frog

  
  
  
  This podcast is inspired by a close encounter with John Key in the Parliamentary gym by one of our staffers, who observed the PM listening to headphones while pounding the treadmill. It got us thinking: what do our MPs listen to? What’s on their iPods? Do they even have iPods? And if not, where does [...] read more
  November 15, 2010 4:37 pm - No Comments
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  Inflation under Key: Disgruntled yoghurt eaters should relax and buy a telly - by frog

  
  
  
  Here’s a breakdown of the big individual price movements in New Zealand since John Key took office, including what went up in price and what went down. The data reveals a story typically hidden by aggregation under our main measure of inflation—the Consumer Price Index or CPI. Biggest price falls: Audio-visual equipment -33% Other vehicle [...] read more
  November 8, 2010 10:05 am - 2 Comments
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  Neo-Muldoonism with a smile - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I’ve posted before about the way this government is turning increasingly Muldoonist. The ECAN Act, the billion dollar infrastructure projects without any cost benefit analysis (Holiday Highway), the unlawful failure to answer OIA requests in time, the extensive use of urgency and so on. But now we have a new level of Muldoonism with this story. The [...] read more
  November 4, 2010 5:57 pm - 88 Comments
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  Key in denial about inevitable impact of carbon charges and oil shocks - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  John Key’s reaction to the distance-based UK departure tax shows just how out of touch he is about our economic future. This Government is deeply in denial. There is no question that climate change and rising fossil fuel prices will change travel patterns, and we should be taking this future into account in our tourism [...] read more
  November 3, 2010 2:45 pm - 16 Comments
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  A couple of troubling questions on the Hobbit Bill - by frog

  
  
  
  Who was telling the truth, John Key or Gerry Brownlee? Their stories differ. And how does this legislation clarify the law as to who are contractors and who are employees in the film industry, when it just seems to confuse an issue the Supreme Court had already made clear? read more
  October 30, 2010 8:05 pm - 9 Comments