The debate on the size of the public service is always fun to watch. Labour has been digging for information on planned cuts to the public service and has some cabinet papers that show National is planning to cut 470 jobs by the end of 2011 (Labour managed to read this as 460 jobs by [...]
Gordon Brown’s gaffe is the main news in the UK. I notice a curious silence in the Left-wing blogosphere about it, except for the odious No Right Turn who thinks Brown was justified in calling Gillian Duffy (66) a bigot. Malcolm goes one further and uses the term “Bigoted Racist” for good measure. Apparently saying [...]
The Political Correctness Nazis are attempting to ban Tintin again. In faint mitigation, the perpetrator of the latest banning attempt is at least congolese and is objecting to the admittedly absurd racial stereotypes in Tintin in the Congo, probably the worst of the Tintin books (in my opinion). This is not the first time this [...]
Some newspaper articles cause me to wonder what is NOT being said. The Herald today runs the headline: Denied help for sexual abuse, dead days later A review of new rules for sexual abuse counseling has come too late to save a South Auckland mother who died four days after her claim for ACC-funded counselling [...]
There has been a lot of heat generated about the New Zealand Peace Movement’s selling of white “peace” poppies just before the red poppy collection on Anzac Day. I do not consider it inappropriate that the peace movement use the same symbolic day to generate funds as the Veteran’s Association. After all, peace is exactly [...]
Audrey Young reports that the government say they will not scrap Pharmac as part of a free-trade deal with the US. Actually, National is being quite a bit more cagey than that. Tony Ryall is simply not commenting and Tim Groser is being positively vague as this shows: He said Pharmac was an outstandingly successful [...]
Spam Journalism: The spurious use of sensational headlines to add spice to an otherwise pointless article. Now here is a nice manufactured controversy that does not exist. Fresh from my old stomping grounds in Southland. PM Key’s sketch causes a bit of a stink It’s not on the scale of Helen Clark’s “paintergate” scandal, but it has caused a [...]
Australia’s chief medical officer, Jim Bishop has announced that children under five years old should not receive the flu vaccine. Apparently at least 60 children under the age of 5 have had high fevers and 23 have had convulsions shortly after receiving the vaccine. I have not heard any advisory from the New Zealand authorities [...]
David Farrar appears to have scooped the newspapers with a leaked version of The Law Commission proposals on alcohol. The Stuff version is here. David’s summary runs: A massive 50% increase in the excise tax on alcohol. This would result in an extra $500 million of revenue to the Crown at the expense of everyone who drinks. Banning [...]
Spam Journalism: The spurious use of sensational headlines to add spice to an otherwise pointless article. You always know it is a slow news day when you get ancient news reserved with a sexy new headline. Warning: iPods can damage your hearing In the past it was labourers in noisy factories and soldiers using firearms who lost [...]
