If Steven Joyce is right that David Parker told ‘nine lies’ about the economy on The Nation last weekend, then he must believe the economy is already in full boom; growth has peaked and needs to be slowed; exporters are whingers; the hot New Zealand dollar is nothing to worry about; that not selling enough products to the world to pay for all the things we buy from other countries isn’t a problem - hell, we’ve been doing it for forty years - let’s do it for another forty!
And there is no housing bubble in Auckland - David Parker made it up.
EU sanctions 15 Russian and Ukrainian political and military figures; North Korea conducts live-fire drill near border with South Korea; Chinese president visits home of Uighur separatists; Iraqi PM seeks third term; Nigerian military negotiating release of schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram; and more
How is Fonterra allowed to stay in business when it does this? Here is our dairy monopoly, enjoying its special status as the New Zealand economic engine (while threatening that economy with botch up after botulism botch up), now employing low paid ‘slave’ labour and getting away with it.
A look at how we got into this legal highs muddle and how the government's knee-jerk reaction is all about the drug of power rather than any evidence on legal highs themselves
The ink is hardly dry on the latest attempt by Palestinians to present a united front, yet Israel and the United States are threatening them for not doing as they are told and trying to blame them for a collapse in the no-peace peace talks about talks.
Disputed East China Sea islands covered by Washington-Tokyo defense treaty, says Obama; labour strikes at Chinese factories spread to include 30,000 protestors; Ukrainian politician believed to have been tortured and killed; Brazil hosts conference on future of internet governance; and more
I was going to write something about Kelvin Davis, the new Labour MP taking over from Shane Jones. But his own words say it all. This is impressive. He speaks from the heart and embodies Labour principles effortlessly. How did he ever end up too low on the Labour list not to make it back into parliament in 2011...No, don't answer that. That's another blog.
So here is Kelvin's first statement as Labour MP in waiting:
Obama reasserts administration's focus on Asia-Pacific with trip to South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines; China and Japan reignite World War II enmity; Nepalese officials try to convince sherpas to work season on Everest; Saudi health official sacked as deadly MERS virus spreads; and more
Shane Jones wouldn’t be quitting if he thought he was going to be in government next year. His resignation is a very clear warning bell; Labour cannot win if it loses people like Shane Jones and voters who support him.
The ins and outs of possible coalitions on the left are far more absorbing, but Alex asked for it... so here's my humble take on some of the coalition issues facing the right (and a sneaky mention of Shane Jones)
A peripheral group of political zealots want to introduce the UK's approach to punishing burglary into NZ. Except they don't really want to do that at all.
Tensions rise in Ukraine; Chinese economy slows; rescue efforts continue for passengers of South Korean ferry; Syrian opposition obtain US weapons; Boko Haram seizes 200 girls from Nigerian school; and more
Worst climate change consequences can be averted, says international panel; avian flu outbreak in Japan leads to chicken cull; Pakistani Taliban factions agree ot one-month cease fire; Guinea-Bissau heads to the polls; and more
The banning of Palestine's only Olympian from running in the Palestinian Marathon is very revealing about Israel's disingenuous attitude towards any peaceful relationship with the people it keeps under illegal occupation.
The Greens were getting ahead of themselves with their offer to Labour to campaign as a coalition government in waiting, and Labour was right to reject the offer.
The transcript of Wednesday's question time in the House is not yet available via Hansard. Fortunately, I am able to roughly recreate it below (with some possible inaccuracies, although minor in nature).
