Blog Bits
- Paul Buchanan blogs on the acquittal of the Waihopai Three.
- No Right Turn supports my suggestion of having all Cabinet papers automatically placed on the Internet, and further suggests model publication schemes and disclosure registers for government agencies. Sounds good to me.
- Keeping Stock reveals that the Whanganui Chronicle did know “parent” Stephanie Mills was the NZEI Communications Director but did not think it was important to tell readers this!
- ACT analyser Geoffrey Miller blogs at Liberation on the tensions within ACT.
- Claire Browning blogs at Pundit on the Greens and Environment Canterbury, and their conspiracy theories.
- Iain Dale blogs on how the UK UNITE union actually pays the salary of a 10 Downing Street staff member. Will the EPMU demand the same when Labour get back into office in NZ?
- Not PC welcomes the jury nullification in the Waihopai trial as a just check on Government.
No TweetBacks yet. (Be the first to Tweet this post)
Tags: Blog Bits
March 18th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Cheers for the link DPF. On reflection, I think that the Chronicle’s admission that they knew about Ms Mills was even worse than the original sin in quoting her without context. They tried to justify their position by saying that she was quoted as a parent, completely overlooking the fact that she was a parent with a heavily-jaundiced view! To pass her off as a neutral commenter was grossly misleading (being charitable) or blatantly dishonest (being less charitable!).
March 18th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
The difference between a conspiracy and a ‘Green conspiracy theory’ is truth.
Mining in our national parks, moving towards taxes which affect the poor and middle classes more (i.e. GST) to fund cuts for the rich (top-tier income tax), and gutting the Auckland democracy were all billed as ‘Green’ conspiracy theories’ until it became clear that, as usual, the Greens were right.
National does have a long history of politically motivated appointments – appointing at least two people who are openly homophobic to the Human Rights Review Tribunal perhaps being one of their lowest moments.
March 18th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
David, surely you’re not taking a dig at Andrew Little with your snippet > Iain Dale blogs on how the UK UNITE union actually pays the salary of a 10 Downing Street staff member. Will the EPMU demand the same when Labour get back into office in NZ?
March 18th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
A1kmm wrote:..to fund cuts for the rich (top-tier income tax)
The top 10% of earners pay 75% of the total income tax.
It’s inequitable to presume that those of us who do work should fund your lifestyle choices.
March 18th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
> A1kmm wrote:..to fund cuts for the rich (top-tier income tax)
> The top 10% of earners pay 75% of the total income tax.
> It’s inequitable to presume that those of us who do work should fund your lifestyle choices.
The middle class work as hard or harder than the top 10% of earners; if that 75% figure is true, it just shows how unequal New Zealand is. While the ‘poor kid who became rich’ is a popular story, the truth is that in the vast majority of cases, rich parents give rise to rich kids who grow up to be rich adults, and middle-class parents give rise to middle-class kids, who grow up to be middle-class adults. It has nothing to do with how hard people work, or their skill level, and everything to do with the fact that the current system allows the rich to exploit the middle-classes too much.
Progressive taxation, properly funded education, health, and social welfare systems, workers rights, and other people-friendly measures make the country more equitable, more meritocratic, and better for almost everyone. And yet National opposes all these measures.
March 18th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
“Progressive taxation, properly funded education, health, and social welfare systems, workers rights, and other people-friendly measures make the country more equitable, more meritocratic, and better for almost everyone. And yet National opposes all these measures.”
And so they should ….if they have any respect for freedom and individual rights.What you advocate is slavery of the skilled,the energetic,the disciplined,the patient, and the industrious to the lazy,the stupid,the criminal or the just plain unlucky.
Theres a reason the top income earners earn what the do….they serve their fellow man better than the rest.They bring them greater value therefore they get a greater return…and thats just and good.
March 18th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
“Theres a reason the top income earners earn what the do….they serve their fellow man better than the rest.They bring them greater value therefore they get a greater return…and thats just and good.”
Yeah right. They were born rich, and it is money and capital, not hard work and service to others which brings in the money. At best, laissez faire capitalism rewards those who exploit others the most efficiently. At worst, it merely creates plutocracies and cycles of poverty.
March 18th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Well done, I2… maybe you should offer your services to a newspaper that’s desperately in need of someone who understands that a journalist doesn’t just report what the Mayor tells them to, and leave out the bits he doesn’t want published… like the Chronicle, for instance.
March 18th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
A1kmm, I think anyone in New Zealand has an opportunity to get rich (money-wise). Starting with some money can help but it’s far from essential. And some with that have it manage to get rid of it. You sound like you have been reading too much (or have learnt simplistic slogans from somewhere) and haven’t lived enough.
March 18th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Eh up, another lefty troll. And he’s not even original or entertaining like phool and billybonkers are.
March 18th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Why would the EPMU demand the ability to pay more? The way you wrote it, it sounds like we pick some arbitrary person in parliament, and ask the EPMU to start paying for them.
This surely wouldn’t be about influence, as I don’t see how the EPMU could have more influence over Labour than they already do. Well, OK, if Andrew Little became leader not just president, and stayed as EPMU chair, I guess that would be more. But not especially plausible.
March 18th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Rex – I’ve done my penance at The Chronic Ill, and now set my sights a little higher
The big worry is that this latest escapade actually gives Mayor Mic(h)ael L(h)aws more ammunition in his battle against the might of Taupo Quay.
March 18th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
“…And he’s not even original or entertaining like phool and billybonkers are…”
awww..!!..hurf..!
you care..!
you are a fanboy..!
phil(whoar.co.nz)
March 18th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
sorry .. can’t say anything bad about the Chronicle (mm, may have been the afternoon paper then .. Herald??). I filled in for a mate after school delivering papers that the paperboys missed .. hooned around town in a escort and or a Hillman Van having a great time.
I forgot to lock the door one evening and the place was robbed (72-73 ish).
So, the paper is barely thick enough to wrap up your fish and chips AND full of cut and pastes from other media AND holds back important facts re the Mills woman but when I go home, I always read the latest copies I can find.
March 19th, 2010 at 9:49 am
The Wanganui Chronicle’s only saving grace is the classified section and the daily Code-Cracker. And I pay to have it delivered by our very nice rural delivery man to feed my wife’s addiction to old news. Still, makes good liners for the rabbit hutch poo trays.