Break out the champagne! City Care victory
After a two-year battle KOA was successful in not only stopping the sale of the council works company City Care but also in pressuring the council to restore the company to the strategic assets list.
Setting the Agenda
Political analysis and commentary shaping the progressive debate in Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on power, policy, and accountability.
-
-
Trumps anti-Cuba policy should be condemned
The latest rollback of the Obama presidency’s easing of relations with Cuba as a deepening of the blockade, now in place for 54 years, should be condemned.
-
The broad definition of GCSB security
The broad definition of security is long-standing, introduced around the same time as the SIS botched break in of Aziz Choudry’s house in Christchurch at the time of an APEC meeting there.
-
Make Trade Fair in the Pacific
We gain privileged access to Pacific markets, but they gain no new access to our markets. There are no obligations on Australia to stop their protectionist policies towards Pacific kava exports and other fruit and vegetables that are produced in Australia. New Zealand exporters will gain $20 million in reduced tariffs, but this is lost revenue for Pacific governments that are already struggling to provide basic health care and education to their people.
-
Are Todd Barclay And National High-Ups Guilty Of Witness Tampering?
There’s just something about living in a small, insular ‘everybody-knows-everybody’ kinda place that makes attempts at pulling off a genuine “cover-up” something of a fool’s errand.
Todd Barclay, apparently, is that fool.
-
A Point To Consider On s59 ‘Anti-Smacking’ Debate
There’s a point to be made on this whole ‘Anti-Smacking’/s59 debate which New Zealand First has brought back to the limelight, that I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else making.
-
Director of Mental Health states DHBs have provisions to allow mental health unit patients to smoke – not followed by Waikato DHB
Dear Waikato DHB Board members – attached is a link to an article published today by Stuff in which the Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr John Crawshaw, made the following points in respect of smoking by inpatients at DHBs’ mental health units:
-
Christchurch council helps National’s social vandalism
It is deeply disappointing to see the Christchurch City Council lining up to help the government sell 2,500 state houses in Christchurch.
-
Dave Macpherson – Mental Health failures: the Government’s ‘gift’ that just keeps giving
I know I’ve said it before, but the issue of our failed mental health system IS very definitely becoming an election issue, despite the best intentions of Health Minister Coleman who, in an attempt to prove he’s pulled his head out of the sand or wherever else it was stuck, has put out more media releases announcing minor dollops of dough to mental health in the last 4 months than I’ve had hot breakfasts.
-
Foot in Mouth Award – Nicky Wagner, because disabilities issues are such a drag on a nice day
Yes, indeed, Ms Wagner, we’re sure you’d rather be out on the harbour rather than having to mess around with boring disability issues. After all, it’s not your responsibility if some people ‘choose’ to stay indoors rather than go sailing because they happen to have a disability.