The quiet desperation of low-income families Vs middle-class angst
It’s a sad truth that in our daily political discourse the struggle of people on low incomes doesn’t rate much.
New Zealand Politics
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The coming economic crisis, “unorthodox” monetary policy, and Donald Trump
A new surge in the price of gold in US dollars would force the Federal Reserve to reverse course and start hiking interest rates and reversing easing once more. Trump would then have the choice of firing the Federal Reserve and forcing his changes, as he hinted at doing in late 2018, or having an election-year recession. This would provoke a political and economic crisis of historic proportions.
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Should Labour kneecap the Greens for NZ First in order to win 2020 election?
No one should think that the 2020 election will be a walk in the park. On social media the activist base seem delighted that the TVNZ Poll put them in front but this could all change in a flash.
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Radio interview about my case against the NZ police & secret trials
Sean Plunket was kind enough to interview me on MagicTalk about my case against the NZ Police & secret trials.
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Upholding The Accused’s Right To Write.
THE SHOCK/HORROR expressed at the Christchurch Shooter’s letter from prison is unworthy of a grown-up nation. A bold assertion, to which the cynical will undoubtedly reply: “True – but this is New Zealand we’re talking about!” Beleaguered liberals will chuckle ruefully – and move on. Because who now believes that the shock/horror “deplorables” are in any way redeemable? And, who really cares?
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Pacific Islands Forum – Issues NZ must confront
The Pacific Islands Forum is on and there are some issues that NZ must confront even if our Pacific Island whanau won’t.
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The Wellington Orac: dangers of replacing Bureaucrat bigotry with AI bigotry & Police wanting facial recognition CCTV empire
We see time and time again that discretion seems to be abused by Wellington Bureaucrats so trying to limit that to remove the bigotry and bias that make WINZ and MSD such toxic cultures might seem like a great idea, the problem is that life never fits squarely into the box ticking process so we hope public servants are trained well enough to recognise injustice rather than cause it.
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The Christchurch White Supremacist Terrorist Letter scandal & Youth Court athlete sex fiasco highlights how politically difficult prisoner voting reform will be for Labour
Labour need to sell any prisoner voting rights as ‘Labour will not allow violent prisoners to vote because once you have committed a violent crime you lose your right to vote blah blah blah’, while quietly appealing the law to allow those serving less than 3 years to vote as apart of a rehabilitation program to ‘give prisoners the chance to reform by reconnecting with society’.
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Simon Bridges Leads National Down Into The Dark
AND SO IT BEGINS, the National Party’s simultaneous descent and ascent. Downwards, into the dark territory of “whatever it takes”. Upwards, into the glare of electoral victory. It’s happening because the party’s present leader has convinced himself that it is only the first movement which makes possible the second.
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Kafka’s Shadow: My hearing against NZ Police & secret trials
It is important that this precedent is not allowed. The State are trying this on when they don’t think anyone is looking. Secret trials and secret evidence require enormous checks and balances which the Human Review Tribunal has been too underfunded to enable.