Keys radio therapy

Today, the Prime Minister of New Zealand accused the media of becoming more aggressive, hostile, and antagonistic towards his Government.

What Key is actually accusing the media of is being biased when they report factual articles that are disparaging of National's policy and performance. This is clearly designed to displace criticism away from the government, and instead onto some sort of theoretical media fabrication based on second-termitis.

It's a classic play by a manipulator, and frankly shouldn't be believed.

Although there has been an increase in reporting that highlights the governments failure to create jobs, stop the exodus to Australia and pay off debt etc, the only ones to blame for that is the government... because they are indeed failing to produce what they promised.

If you can stand the smarmy little conman, here is the NewstalkZB interview where Key claims the media is turning against him.

...and then the denial where Key claims he wasn't slamming the media.

In my opinion the MSM often fail to report on much of National's dysfunction that currently pervades and cripples New Zealand's functionality.

What we're seeing is a very small shift away from the usual propaganda and towards factual reporting and accountability... and that's what Key really doesn't like.

National's fiscally irresponsible tax cuts

Yesterday, the Scoop reported:

Govt’s 2010 tax cuts costing $2 billion and counting

The Green Party has today revealed that the National Government has so far had to borrow an additional $2 billion dollars to fund their 2010 tax cut package for upper income earners.

New information prepared for the Green Party by the Parliamentary Library show that the estimated lost tax revenues from National’s 2010 tax cut package are between $1.6–$2.2 billion. The lost revenue calculation includes company and personal income tax revenues offset by increases in GST.

“The National Government said that their signature 2010 income tax cut package would be ‘fiscally neutral’ — paid for increased revenues from raising GST. That hasn’t happened. The net cost for tax cuts has been about $2 billion,” Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

“Borrowing $2 billion in 18 months to fund upper-income tax cuts is fiscally irresponsible.

“National’s poor economic decisions have led to record levels of government debt and borrowing.

Along with unprecedented numbers of Kiwis permanently leaving New Zealand for a brighter future overseas, National has increased unemployment to 6.7% and ensured retail is stagnant due to flat wages. Export prices are also in free-fall making any economic recovery even more dependent on a functional internal market.

National's mishandling of the economy could result in a double dip recession, which in comparison to Australia's growth and $2 billion surplus would categorically show National's economic bungling. They can no-longer use the GFC as an excuse for their failure.

John Key simply has no solution apart from the same old laissez-faire ideology and free-market bullshit that got us into this mess in the first place. It has become abundantly clear that we're currently being governed by a bunch fools!

Ireland bans fracking

On Saturday, the Irish Times reported:

MINISTER FOR Energy Pat Rabbitte has reiterated that no hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” for gas would take place in Ireland pending further “detailed scientific analysis and advice”.

Mr Rabbitte was commenting on yesterday’s publication by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of a scoping report commissioned from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

The initial EPA report would provide a “useful basis” for the terms of reference for a further study that he is commissioning this year with the EPA, Mr Rabbitte’s spokesman said last night.

This follows Germany declaring their country frack free and leaves just China and New Zealand as the only two countries to have undertaken fracking, to not change policy.

In fact the Minister of Energy and Resources Phil Heatley is in denial that there's any problem at all, even though fracking is irrefutably linked with causing earthquakes and there are numerous documented cases of water contamination in Taranaki and around the world... something he's at pains to ignore.

The GC is drivel

Today, TV3 reported:

A great deal of the controversy surrounding TV3's new series, The GC, centers around the $420,000 of taxpayer money that was used to produce the show. In an interview with RadioLIVE's Marcus Lush, John Key has defended NZ On Air's decision to fund the reality series.

"They make their decisions completely independently," said Mr Key. "Our board is to appoint the board, and their job is to make the funding calls.

Although he has not yet watched the show, the Prime Minister believes that the incredibly high ratings it has received qualify The GC as a success.

Key hasn't watched the program but has made the call that it's not a waste of money? How dumb! His faith in NZ On Air is clearly unfounded, with the GC being one of the worst decisions the tax-payer funded organisation has ever made.

The only reason this program is rating is because of extensive media hype... which is overrated. It's the epitome of a dumbed down society... a gross insult to people of even moderate intelligence.

 Morgan Godfery @ Maui Street sums it up nicely:

Shows like The GC, think Jersey Shore and Geordie Shore, are designed to showcase humanities worst. Narcissism, arrogance, ignorance, stupidity and every other foul characteristic you can think of. With this in mind, naturally the producers selected a group of Maori to showcase these characteristics. This, I think, is racist.

While funding this drivel we're losing TVNZ7... Unbelievable!

Keith Locke - Hero of the Week

Today, Amnesty International reported:

In a ceremony at the Human Rights Commission in Auckland the award was presented to the former Greens MP in recognition of a life dedicated to the promotion and protection of people’s human rights here in New Zealand and around the world.

“When we at Amnesty speak to communities or people here in New Zealand who have also sought our advice and help, Keith’s name is often mentioned as someone who has unfailingly assisted them,” said Rebecca Emery, Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

“Keith is truly a unique New Zealander who comes from a family that has shown a genuine dedication to social justice causes through generations, and for this reason, it is a pleasure to close our 50th birthday year by honouring him as a true expression of what it means to be a Human Rights Defender.”

Good on Keith for his monumental effort to ensure honesty within the government on issues such as anti terror, surveillance and refugee rights. The all round nice guy definitely deserves Amnesty International's Aotearoa 2012 Human Rights Defender award. Excellent!

No security of supply

Today, NewstalkZB reported:

A report has been released into the Maui gas leak last October.

The outage caused widespread disruption to businesses in the upper North Island, with many having to completely shut down.

Maui Development Limited's report has found the gas leak and resulting outage was caused by a section of the pipeline in North Taranaki's Pukearuhe area failing due to a landslide.

Investigations have also found that no property, defect or flaw in the pipe itself contributed to the failure.

The section of the pipeline has now been stabilised, and will be continually monitored so a longer term solution for the section can be implemented.

Monitoring is hardly going to help find a long term solution. The problem is that the 33 year old pipeline was put in the wrong place to begin with to save money.

Coastal erosion in Taranaki will continue to threaten gas supplies to areas like Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

Maui Development Limited hasn't released their report to the public for some reason? There is also no report into the economic cost of the ruptured pipeline.