Tag Archives: National

The school of hard knocks and ‘the curious incident of the dog…’ – Part I

Posted on 24th Sep, 2012 by Puddleglum

Often the best way to learn something is the hard way. You tend not to forget when you get bruised in the process. If that’s the case, then many Cantabrians are gaining memorable lessons about what it is like to … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Education, Freedom, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

ECan, the government and the ‘Picture of Dorian Gray’

Posted on 11th Sep, 2012 by Puddleglum

It is hard to understand why it appears to have received so little attention or commentary nationwide (with some honourable exceptions). The extension of the rule of the ECAN Commissioners announced by David Carter (Local Government Minister) and Amy Adams … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Economics, Fascism, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A rainy Christmas Day in Christchurch

Posted on 5th Aug, 2012 by Puddleglum

Monday night last week was like Christmas Eve in Christchurch. As the evening darkened, the presents – carefully wrapped and prettily presented by the best PR Christmas wrappers CERA could buy – were lain beneath the brightly lit Christmas Tree … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Economics, Fascism, Freedom, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

A better term than ‘breeding for a business’

Posted on 29th May, 2012 by Puddleglum

  Back in 2002, some years before scaling the heights to the Prime Ministerial summit, John Key said that Labour’s Domestic Purposes Benefit policy had led to a situation “where people have been, for want of a better term, breeding … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics, Welfare | Tagged , , , , , | 26 Comments

Disdaining democracy

Posted on 25th Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

All those years ago – you know, way back when John Key wasn’t the Prime Minister – the populace, so we found out, was getting restless. Its main complaint about the government of the day was that it was ‘off … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Economics, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Christchurch’s Second Coming

Posted on 8th Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last Slouches toward [Christchurch] to be born?” The ground is now being prepared for the future incarnation of Christchurch. What comes our way will bear the marks and influences of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Economics, Fascism, Freedom, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The banality of corruption

Posted on 27th Mar, 2012 by Puddleglum

At the heart of the exotic and exciting spectacle of National Party luminaries engaging in their own version of the shootout at the OK Corral – and, in so doing, managing to take out one of their own – is … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom, Human Nature, New Zealand Politics, Political Psychology | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

‘Not Electioneering’, Key-style

Posted on 10th Feb, 2012 by Puddleglum

‘Nothing to do with me‘, says Key (and Joyce). After all, John Key explicitly announced in the first minute of the one hour Radio Live ‘PM’s Hour’ that it was an “election free zone”. But that raises the question of … Continue reading →

Posted in New Zealand Politics, Political Psychology | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on ‘Not Electioneering’, Key-style

Out of control

Posted on 2nd Feb, 2012 by Puddleglum

Sometimes, you just can’t keep things under control in politics. You know how it goes –  somehow Treasury documents get accidentally posted on websites; somehow the government’s majority ‘control’ over partially privatised state assets just isn’t what you thought it … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Free Market, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Boil; Pour; Stew – Drink?

Posted on 30th Jan, 2012 by Puddleglum

The way to get tea so strong you could stand the teaspoon up in it and produce that almost unbearably metallic, bitter tannin taste in your mouth is to follow the age old recipe: Boil; Pour; Stew. Well, they call … Continue reading →

Posted in New Zealand Politics, Political Polls, Political Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments