The Daily Blog Watch Wednesday 10 July

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Today’s Daily Blog Watch Round-Up of matters that have attracted the attention, assessments, and articulations of this country’s leading bloggers and on-line satirists…

NZ Left Blogosphere

On Tumeke, Tim Selwyn asks why it took  25 minutes for an ambulance?  to arrive at the shooting scene on an Auckland motorway. He also points out,

Permitting the offender to go through the 40 odd kilometres of Auckland’s urban area is actually a very poor job indeed and potentially put the public at risk. ”

Scott on Imperator Fish gives us  More top Garner tweets – brilliant stuff.

Cameron P on the Auckland Transport Blog shows how to Give A Little to support the blog. Well worth supporting, as the Auckland Transport Blog often presents insights into transport  issues and problems that the msm can’t be arsed covering.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

If you haven’t already, check out  The enlightened solution on Bat, Bean, Beam, for Giovanni’s brilliant blogpost on how Auckland and Wellington are seeking to implement a Final Solution on street beggers. Out of sight, out of mind – we can’t have the Middle Classes reminded of the consequences of 30 years of neo-liberal policies. It might upset their delicate sensibilities and put them of shopping for a whole day!

On Generation Zero, Louis Chambers writes on  Cam Jones, Shortland Street Star and Generation Zero Ambassador,

Cam Jones “gets it”. He’s a rising acting star, having just landed the role as Dallas on Shortland Street – an ambulance officer who has the girls swooning. But he’s also someone who thinks about the kind of world he wants to live in and what he can do. He’ll be speaking at the Auckland event as part of Generation Zero’s nationwide speaking tour.

Frankly Speaking takes a swipe at David Farrar on gender equality in Parliament – and finds that the Nats and their supporters are the last to be biffing stones at Labour for their attempts at gender equality for MP selection. 

Green MP, Jan Logie, on Frogblog also had a few points to make on the myth of selecting women based on “merit” vs Quotas for women,

There is a wealth of evidence that shows entrenched gender bias is a reality. This article demonstrates it in the sciences:

[…]

If the Minister of Women’s Affairs doesn’t recognise gender bias then we really are in trouble.

For Marty on mars2earth, the so-called Facebook-based  “Pakeha Party” is nought but a  dim distraction, and derides it for what it is,

You see the people that are racist feel persecuted and through disjointed logic they reframe their problem and make it someone else’s. So don’t get worked up about this – just enjoy the laughs and also enjoy the very dim joining up on facebook and then keep working for equality and keep fighting the real dirty racists – those like 1law4all and their moneyed mates – that is where the real battle is.

On Maui Street, Morgan Godfery considers Egalitarianism, conformism and the Pakeha Party,

There’s a great contradiction in the Kiwi heart: a conflict between equality in theory and equality in fact.

Egalitarianism is New Zealand’s founding myth: sometimes a symbol of Kiwi exceptionalism, other times a cultural touchstone in “the cultureless society”. Often a driver of social innovation and progress, but never offered on another person or groups terms. If Maori want access to New Zealand’s egalitarian sympathies, they must assimilate. There’s no room for Maori participating as Maori. ”

Considering that the Facebook organiser, David Ruck, seems thick as two planks – he isn’t even aware when the next election is due – I think we have little to worry about. Redneck racists: their lizard-brains are set in permanent “neutral gear”.

On No Right Turn, Idiot Savant covers a wide range of issues,

Tranmission Gully: A $2 billion scam

Gerry Brownlee is about to squander $2 billion of taxpayer’s money – and Savant condemns the National minister as irresponsibile,

“  Last year, the government announced that doing Tranmission Gully using a Public-Private partnership would cost $300 million more than if the government built it. That’s bad enough, but it’s worse than that. Today, the Minister admitted that the private-sector markup would be $2 billion…

… This is economic mismanagement, it is waste, and it is outright corrupt. And any future government should unilaterally cancel the PPP contract rather than let it stand. ”

This is indeed a form of corruption/incompetance (new word required?), which leads into Savant’s next issue,

More corrupt than we think

Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer has some bad news for New Zealand: 3% of us paid a bribe for public services in the last year... ”

On top of which, we have the John Banks “issue”.

The gloss is coming of our society, as well as our once “clean and green”, “100% Pure” image.

Welcome to New Zealand after five years of National.

Good news on the spy bill

Savant writes that Labour, NZ First, and Peter Dunne are all having second thoughts on the GCSB Bill, and this can only mean that they have heard the disquiet from New Zealanders on this issue.

Quite simply, we don’t want a surveillance state; we don’t need a surveillance state; and we don’t trust any government operating a surveillance state.

A personal vote is not a conscience vote

The Greens are celebrating because the Speaker has granted their request for a “conscience vote” on the enabling legislation for John Key’s corrupt Sky City gambling deal. They shouldn’t be. Why? Because he hasn’t given them what they think he has. They requested, and were granted, a “personal vote on [a] conscience issue” under Standing Order 139. But a personal vote is just a procedure, in which MPs vote old-style through the lobbies rather than having the votes called out by the party whips. Most “conscience votes” are taken in this manner, but in and of itself, a personal vote gives no particular freedom to MPs in casting their votes – that’s, as always, between them and their parties. And the National Party is perfectly free to tell its MPs to go to the appropriate lobby and vote the party line, on pain of suspension from caucus or other consequences, just as they implicitly do for the more usual party votes.

Read Savant’s full blogpost to get his take on this issue.

Challenging the panopticon in the UK

Last month we learned that Britain’s GCHQ was tapping fibre-optic cables into and out of the UK and recording all international phone and internet traffic. Their legal justification was a tenuous interpretation of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. Now, that interpretation is being challenged in the UK courts... ”

The growth of surveillance states around the world reveals how deeply our privacy has been compromised. The growth  and extent of  surveillance is borderless and affects all  human beings.

How did we ever let it get to this???

On 6 June, in a blogpost headed, Man Ban Thank you Ma’am, Danyl on The Dim Post predicted the demise of Labour’s policy to improve gender equal numbers for their MPs,

“ …on the contrary, I predict it will sink the proposal to adopt a quota system for the list which would have led to greater female representation in Parliament. ”

Well called.

On Whoar, Phillip Ure looks at  New Zealand Parliament – List of questions for oral answer Wednesday – 10 July 2013.. and comments on the responses from National ministers. Phillip also comments on  “..Gordon Campbell on John Key’s proud claim to being the village idiot..” (+ comment:..how/when will key ‘go’..?..my money is on that he won’t make the next election..)

Plus more on Phillip’s blog, with his own unique take on things.
On the Aotearoa Independent Media Centre, the blogsite looks at  100 Years of Anarchism in New Zealand Celebrated Today.

A Jewish tailor and fox terrier owner; a Wellington carpenter and staunch family-man—not your typical anarchist-cum-bomber stereotypes. Yet one hundred years ago today, Philip Josephs and Carl Mumme were two founding members of the Freedom Group—one of New Zealand’s first anarchist collectives. ”

The Jackal looks at whether  Owen Glenn should step down from his panel looking into domestic violence, and comes to the conclusion that Glenn has been less than honest with the public. Read Jackal’s blogpost – he’s done his homework.

Jackal also posts an interesting infographic detailing The growing cost of catastrophe. It’s US-centered, but still relevant to New Zealand which has also recently seen it’s fair share of earthquakes, drought, and the recent super-storm.

On The Civilian,

David Shearer stages coup against self, declares ‘it’s done’

In a shock move this morning, David Shearer has successfully challenged himself for the leadership of the Labour Party, winning a bid to replace former leader David Shearer after weeks of internal instability.

“There, it’s done,” declared a fresh-faced Shearer at a post-challenge press conference, a stark contrast to the tired, embattled former leader David Shearer.

Women’s Weekly to give away tickets to royal birth

A prominent British women’s magazine is running a competition that will give away two tickets to watch the birth of the royal baby of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Women’s Weekly, which sells around 340,000 copies a week, will be including in this week’s issue a form that any of its readers can fill out and send back to the publication. A random draw will be held, and if they are selected, they will be flown to Wales to watch the birth from one of two front row seats positioned at the end of the Duchess’ hospital bed.

Hell, why not?  The West has commercialised everything else! This makes perfect sense in a world that worships the Almighty Dollar and where the peasantry elect patently dishonest governments to further commercialise our society.

And over on The Standard,

GCSB – independent inquiry needed – Karol writes,

 

There is clear evidence that a full, independent inquiry of the GCSB is needed before the law/s related to NZ intelligence gathering are changed.  The Green Party called for such an inquiry in May 2013.  They argued that the inadequate report by Paul Neazor indicated a full and thorough inquiry is needed.”

If Campbell Live showed us anything tonight (10 July) it’s that there is something very dodgy going on behind the scenes with the GCSB Bill…

Sky City deal – personal vote

Multiple reports on Twitter that Key’s grubby Sky City Bill will be a conscience personal vote. If true, I’m surprised, given the fragile majority Key has on this issue.

Now I guess we get to see if any Nat MPs have a conscience… ”

Short answer? No.

Long answer? Still fucking no!

The last National MP to have a conscience was Marilyn Waring. And we all know how that ended. (Not well for Ms Waring.)

Much a coup about nothingwrites,

Apparently there was a coup in Labour last night. Missed it? So did Labour. The coup seems to have taken place largely in the mind of Duncan Garner, with the assistance of well-known Labour insider Cameron Slater...”

A brilliant blogpost and if this doesn’t deflate Cameron Slater’s over-blown “reputation” for sheep porn addiction political prescience, then I don’t know what will.

Now maybe the media can get on with reporting the news instead of making it up.

No one was there to meet them – no one went to help them –  writes,

I am doing a speech on health and safety tomorrow. Been thinking about Pike. Bernie Monk rang yesterday. Bridges is in Gisborne Herald today saying all the reports needed on Forestry have been written. In my speech tomorrow I Will read this bit out from the Inquiry into Pike – it is as powerful as story as there is against his complacency. It should be part of every school curriculum. Those that listened to the victim impact statements for Pike last week will have heard Daniel Rockhouse say sometimes he wished he had died in Pike River Mine (his loved brother Ben did!).

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Let us hope that never again will a government hell bent on de-regulation, sacrifice safety on the alter of the Marketplace.

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From the Daily Blog

Labour Party Coup Watch – The twitter coupMartyn Bradbury  writes,

duncan-garner-taft

It seems the same MP who spoke to Gower suggesting Shearer had until Spring was the same MP who texted Gower that a letter was being circulated, what is most interesting about this is that it was not anyone from the Cunliffe camp.

Martyn goes on to say,

The allegation will be that Garner got it wrong, and he is being pilloried on twitter now, but that’s an easy out. There is turmoil within Labour and ambition is running amok. What this failed late night coup alludes to is that the numbers game wasn’t there yet for the 50% threshold, the question is how long that will be the case.”

In which case, if true, that means Garner is being played like a pawn.

If I were him, I’d be mightily pissed off at that.

Shallow, amoral and unethical –  John Minto  writes,

“…of all the grubby deals done by John Key over the years as a currency trader and Prime Minister this is surely the dirtiest in its casual, cynical abuse of low-income families who will pay the cost of the new convention centre.”

The addictive  – and even economically damaging – aspects of gambling are well known. It must be the hallmark of a very desperate government to encourage this kind of “industry” in the hopes it will create jobs…

Shame on National for prostituting the entire country.

And shame on New Zealanders for letting it happen.

What’s All This About A Leadership Coup?  –   Selwyn Manning  writes,

In my view, what’s happening here is a destabilisation campaign. The question is who is behind it. The right is attempting to capitalise on it and claim itself as having the proof of Labour being rudderless. But the right wants this to bleed on and on, as that will benefit National in the polls, in the debating chamber, its relationship with the media and the public service. The right’s claim of proof is clearly nonsense.

But, the rumours have been emitting from Labour itself. That said, no caucus member is going to be caught out being a first-hand source of the rumours. Buffers are being used instead.

This makes it difficult if not near impossible for those outside the loop to get a handle on what’s really happening. But, the destabilisation tactic is often used as a prelude to achieving a goal of rolling a leader. Is that happening now?


Like we saw occur across the ditch in Australia a destabilisation campaign can go on for ages, breaking down a leader until the leader doesn’t know who to trust or really what to say..

And the plot thickens…

Unasa stands for Auckland mayoralty –  Efeso Collins  writes,

Having listened to a week’s worth of talkback on community radio and had many discussions with people at church functions, I can say with confidence that he has huge support that is rapidly growing. ”

There may well come a come that Auckland’s mayor is a Pasifika. With the growing Pasifika population growing, this isn’t a possibility – but inevitable.

The Delta Debacle: What’s going wrong in Dunedin? –  Aaron Hawkins  writes,

Green Dunedin has a strong alternative plan that supports and protects Dunedin jobs and helps create new ones. We have proposals that make the most of our City’s strengths, celebrate our uniqueness and show it off to the world.

On Germans, Catholics and Treasonous Whores –  Simon Prast writes,

So too was Labour’s so-called and ill-fated ‘man-ban’. A policy point to improve gender equality by standing females only in some electorates became, thanks to the helping hand of a blogger from the right, a so-called field day for a lazy press who liked the phrase, even if there wasn’t a story.”

Was there a coup scheduled? Damn, I must’ve missed it in my TV Guide. I hope I don’t miss Spongebob Squarepants

The rise of The Pakeha Party – NZs version of the Tea Party –  Martyn Bradbury  writes,

There’s already a ‘Pakeha Party’ – It’s called ACT and National

Nah, mate. They’re just a bunch of lazy-thinking, ignorant,  red-neck white trash. Their idea of ‘activism’ is going to the fridge for another cold beer and picking their nose for something to eat. You won’t see any of those monkeys bothering to vote.  Not unless the voting booth happens to coincidentally be  at The Mill

Jee-zus-Kee-rist-on-a-stick, the organisor doesn’t even know when the next election will be held!

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Blogpost of the Day

QoT on Ideologically Impure sez  We don’t get to be surprised at the United States’ latest goose-step to fascism,

Twitter was aflame over the weekend due to this article, detailing how pregnant, incarcerated, predominantly women of colour in California were coerced into being sterilised – for their own good, of course.  To save them producing any more little brown burdens on the welfare system.  Because they couldn’t be trusted to make their own reproductive decisions. ”

Let no New Zealander get too smug after reading this story, as we have our own politicians who demand to control the bodies of poor and disempowered women,

Beneficiary contraception plan ‘intrusive’

PALOMA MIGONE AND DANYA LEVY

Last updated 10:56 08/05/2012
   
   
The Government’s plan to offer free long-term contraception for beneficiaries and their daughters is being labelled as an insult and intrusive to women’s right to have children.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett yesterday said contraception would eventually be fully funded for female beneficiaries and their 16 to 19-year-old daughters.

To remind us all – this is why we resist the Right Wing. The attack on the poor and the powerless is relentless.

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Action of the Week#1

Tree planting day at Poets Park alongside the Hutt River / Hutt River Trail, 10am, Saturday 13 July until trees all planted.  All welcome.  Bring your gumboots and a spade if possible (but not essential as a few will be available).  Trees and equipment provided.  Planting for a couple of hours or so, followed by sausage sizzle, hot drink and mingle.  For further information contact George Butters, 027 632 1220.  Organised by Greater Wellington and Friends of the Hutt River.  Poets Park is first left after crossing the Moonshine bridge, see Google Map: Poets Park


Pat van Berkel
Friends of the Hutt River

0211 1459 789

Action of the Week#2

From Frogblog, Holly Walker writes about Electoral reform in the constitutional review;

This week the deadline for submissions on the Constitutional Conversation was extended by a month, so now we’ve got until July 31st to submit.

This is a great chance for all of us to have a say on how we want our country to be run, as well as to share our values and aspirations for Aotearoa New Zealand.

We’ve got a submission guide to help you have your say, which includes Green Party policy on some of the specific areas included in the terms of reference.

Two of the official areas under review that I’m really interested in are electoral matters and Māori representation, which include some pretty important issues like:

  • the size of parliament
  • the size and number of electorates
  • how long our parliamentary term should be
  • whether we should have a fixed election date
  • the Māori Electoral Option
  • Māori seats

I think it’s worth thinking about these issues in the context of our MMP system. MMP has brought fairness, diversity and proportionality to our parliament, and it’s important that these principles are reflected in any further changes to the way parliament and elections work.

Read more here.

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Thought for the Day

Obama on gay marriage

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~ Joe Blogger,

“The Daily Blog Watch” Editor, Imbiber of Fine Sugary Drinks,  & moa tail-docker

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~oo~

1 COMMENT

  1. Cosentino The Illusionist is coming to NZL!!
    New Zealand Believers!
    We need your help to spread the magic for when Cosentino’s TV Special airs on July 22nd at 7:30pm on TV2.
    Spread the word and don’t forget to tune in

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