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

Savant on No Right Turn demonstrates A hole in the law when the Police can sieze people’s communications (emails, text messages, etc) without a search warrant. I believe this practice is highly popular in totalitarian states. The Local Government and Environment Committee has Reported Back on the Conservation (Natural Heritage Protection) Bill, sez Savant and the news is good! As New Zealand moves into the realm of being a Soviet Republic, we learn that there has been More military intimidation – find out the details. Then run. The real threat isn’t Al Qaeda bogeymen, sez Savant – it’s actually far more prosaic, and comes in a plastic milk bottle.

Julie on The Hand Mirror  has  A few words about rape who points out,

“The problem does not lie with the people who get raped.  It never did, never has, never will.  You can examine them as much as you like, but you will never find a solution because you are asking the wrong question to the wrong people.”

Imperator Fish presents A statement from Dr. Jonathan Coleman, Defence Minister – and it’s hard to know if it’s real or a very clever piece of satire. Perhaps in reality that is what politics is; a blending of satire with reality? Porcupine Farm takes a well-deserved swipe The Warehouse Where Everyone Gets A Bargain – evidently their policy of a Living Wage-type pay increase has so many fish-hooks that it’s practically worthless. Why is is the responsibility of staff to meet sales targets?? Isn’t that reliant on factors beyond their control?? Open Parachute  puts a size 9 boot up the Hamilton City Council’s collective backside for spreading misinformation about how their Topical confusion persists  on the flouride issue.

Fightback shows us how a  15 year old is fighting back against McDonald’s, and went on strike.  Aotearoawolfing asks if it’s  Time to Boycott Russia? because of it’s apalling human rights record on it’s LGBT population.  On the Auckland Transport Blog, Matt L points out that  IPENZ talks on Shared Spaces, making our streets more livable. Chris Trotter on Bowalley Road paints a picture of a media that fails to challenge politicians when they say there’s Nothing To The Story. Check out Forest & Bird’s story – Extending the Sanctuary: Cat Tales,Part II – on how to stop cats from munching through our native bird population. Catherine Delahunty on Frogblog reports that Deep sea oil drilling was  rejected by Muriwai meeting – a sign of growing unease by New Zealanders who understand the dangers of this kind of drilling practice.

The ever insightful and keenly analytical mind of Gordon Campbell on the Fonterra milk powder scandal, and the ongoing Dunne email saga equates the current Fonterra crisis as “becoming the export equivalent of foot and mouth disease”. And more on the Dunne/Vance email scandal swirling around Key’s office. Talking about increasing heat – Gareth on Hot Topic reports on the dire effects of increased CO2 in the atmosphere – A physicist speaks: Dessler on climate sensitivity – very unlikely to be less than 2ºC.  And some more Random recommended reading from QoT on Ideologically Impure.

The Pundit’s Josie Pagani has a verdict; Three strikes and you’re out, Fonterra. Josie condemns Fonterra for breaking trust with the public by not being more upfront on this latest crisis.  On Red Alert (no, not Red Alert for Fonterra), Deputy Leader Grant Robertson discusses  Labour’s Policy Platform – not an issue just for policy wonks. Is this Labour’s attempt to make their policy process more democratic? Meanwhile, Danyl on The Dim Post announces  John Key’s PR dilemma of the day. Will Key announce reinstatement of the death penalty when visiting a kindergarten?? The Jackal presents an infographic that shows Changes in incomes since 2008 – which shows how National has utterly failed to carry out its 2008 election pledges to raise the wages of ordinary New Zealanders.

More funny stuff from The Civilian; Nation shocked to learn infant formula just for babies and Kevin Rudd announces election date was yesterday – the latter will save the Aussies a truckload of cash, not having to hold an election.

More good stuff from The Standard; Karol writes about  “The Big Issue”: councils & transport, and does an excellent job at it.  Schadenfreude, writes KJT about journalists having their privacu invaded  – ouch! – very too the point.  Murdoch’s knives out in Oz election, writes Mike Smith, who reports that Murdoch’s propagandists are lining up to to on Kevin Rudd.  Anthony R0bins looks at several recent headlines and finds  The brighter future not quite so bright after all. Anthony also looks at  Spying scandal forensics and as well as Key being neck-deep in it – discovers that Peter Dunne sycophant, Pete George, has been swiping Scoop information and reposting it without attributing it. Naughty boy – no Fonterra Milksies for you!

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From the Daily Blog

Julie Fairey pleads with New Zealanders, Hold us to account, please, and presents a thoughful analysis of political life and how good people can be seduced by the Dark Side.  Excellent post! Meanwhile, Chris Trotter writes that  there are  Good Reasons For The Greens To Celebrate after the recent TV1/Colmar brunton poll. The evolution of parliamentary security, writes Keith Locke, who laments how easily computer technology has been turned against us.  Cough-Cough – about that whole ‘willing buyer/willing seller’ thing (Two questions) – Martyn Bradbury asks two Very Very Good Questions about the Dunne Affair. Why hasn’t the media picked up on it?? John Minto reminds us  that politicians can be a deceptive bunch – hence why   Playing the fear card is Key’s last frantic gamble.

Morgan Godfery talks about $elling out workers’ rights and sez,

“The market has changed –the government is amending relevant legislation – and iwi must adapt their business model.”

Frank Macskasy posts the second part of his in-depth report on people with rare disorders and how Opposition parties are  working  together on “orphan drugs” (part rua). Off course, that depends on Winston not selling out again. And Martyn Bradbury puts it all together with  Epsom Tea Party surveillance + NZDF spying on investigative journalist + spying on Parliamentary reporter = why we all have something to fear from GCSB. Chris Trotter asks Who Are The Fifty Percent? who keep supporting Key in the polls? Interesting thoughts on the subject.

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Blogpost of the Day

Who’s to blame for the abuse on Andrea Vance? asks Tim Watkin on The Pundit. Tim writes,

But as I say, contempt for the press and obfuscation is nothing new in politics. So the question I’m asking is what’s changed? How has the rivalry and even contempt turned into this kind of intrusion and abuse of power?

Two reasons leap to mind. First, we live in a time when principle is little discussed. Issues are most often presented and debated in the light of how they impact on me and my family, not in a wider social or principled sense. For example, we debate the GCSB bill in the context that “if you’ve got nothing to hide then you’ve got nothing to fear”. I suspect polling would show most New Zealanders see the issue from that viewpoint. It’s too hard to think about the principles of privacy and the rights of others and more complicated civil liberties. We aren’t as willing to engage as much in debate about what this says about our tolerance level as a country. Most people are just too busy and tired to think through those big hoary Thomas Paine-type arguments.

Indeed. Tim’s story is a perceptive observation about modern New Zealand life, as it is about political abuse of power.

Check out his whole blogpost. It’s a fascinating read.

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Rightwing BS Blogpost of The Day

Pete George for using Scoop Media’s timetime of the Dunne/Vance/GCSB scandal without attributing it. Check out “his”  Henry Inquiry timeline. Bad form, Petey.

Which is irony in the extreme, as Pete is a  lackey/supporter of Peter Dunne. And Dunne is whinging his arse off about Parliamentary Services taking his emails and giving them to the Henry Inquiry. And that’s after Dunne took the Kitteridge Report and gave it to Andrea Vance!!!

What the fuck is up with all these thieving righties???

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Direct Actions

By 16 August

Are you one of the 70,000 who just got un-enrolled?

The Electoral Commission have just had to remove 70,000 New Zealanders from the electoral roll, after the election packs they sent out for the local body elections later in the year were returned, saying ‘gone – no forwarding address’. This was part of the checks to make sure that everyone who’s eligible is correctly enrolled to vote.

This means that there’s 70,000 people out there who have moved house but may not know even realise that they won’t be able to vote at the election.

If you think you might be included in this number, don’t despair! You’ve still got time to re-enrol in time to vote at the local body elections this year. Just head to www.elections.org.nz, freetext your name to 3676, call 0800 36 76 56 or go to any PostShop by August 16^th.

Hat-tip: Frogblog

By 22 August

Submit!

The Commerce Committee has called for submissions on the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill (AKA the crony convention-centre bill). You can submit directly via the link above, or by sending two copies to

Commerce Committee Secretariat
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
Submissions are due by Thursday, 22 August 2013. Topics to raise: the unconstitutionality of the bill purporting to bind future Parliaments to compensate SkyCity of there is a change of government (and of policy); the anti-freedom of speech clause in the deal and its incompatibility with the Bill of Rights Act. While the latter isn’t actually in the bill, criticism by the committee could see it removed from the deal, or make a future BORA case against its exercise substantially easier.

Hat-tip: No Right Turn

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Thought for the Day

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~ Joe Blogger,

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

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~oo~