General
« Previous Entries Next Entries »John Key backs MMP
Friday, November 25th, 2011I think you should vote to retain MMP on Saturday. But don’t listen to me. Listen to John Key. “Every vote counts,” he said this morning. He’s right, and it’s one of the best features of MMP. It’s not true (or not nearly as true) for any of the other voting systems. It’s not really true […]
No declaration after tea
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011Winkelmann J has declined to grant a declaration that the famous Epsom cuppa was not a private conversation. Does that mean it was a private conversation? No, it just means that she’s declined to rule on the issue right now. She gives several reasons. First, there are still facts in dispute, and she wan’t sure she […]
The worm returns
Monday, November 21st, 2011I see TV3 plan to use the worm again on tonight’s debate. Sigh. Here’s a column I wrote opposing the worm back in 2005. I think it still holds true.
Memo to John Key
Monday, November 21st, 2011Stop talking about Winston Peters. At all. The 5% of New Zealand who might vote for him are not amenable to rational persuasion. They vote for him if they are reminded about him because he is in the news.
Conflict of interest
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011John Key has “stormed” out of a press conference, refusing to answer questions about the teapot tapes. Actually it was more of a scuttle (scroll down for video). But before that he was pushing the familiar line that New Zealanders are more interested in the economy and the serious policies that matter. Now, I’m all with […]
Of sneaky devices 2
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011I see Andrew Geddis has weighed in on Teapotgate (has anyone else called it that yet? Am I first?) He (and others) see another possible defence in the argument that the occasion was so inherently public and the wodge of journalists so close by that Key and Banks “ought reasonably to [have expected] that the […]
Of sneaky devices
Sunday, November 13th, 2011John Key’s cunning plan to send a signal to the troops by sitting down for a cuppa with Act’s John Banks may have come undone by another sneaky device. It seems that the conversation was recorded and may contain “game-changing” comments, according to the Herald on Sunday. The paper says a freelance cameraman was stopped from […]
NZ Lawyer column
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011In my recent NZ Lawyer column, I reverted to a blog format: Let’s face it. You’re busy people. You have short attention spans. So let’s move to a blog format and you can graze the bits you find most interesting. Pride or prejudice?Some of you may have seen my star turn on TV One News unpacking […]
Submission on the Video Camera Surveillance Bill
Thursday, September 29th, 2011Felix Geiringer and I drafted a submission on the Bill, and got it in with 5 minutes to spare before the midnight deadline. (Hope you enjoyed your opportunity for public input, people.) Here it is: Submission to the Justice and Electoral Select Committeeon the Video Camera Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Bill SUMMARY OF VIEWS We […]
A thought
Monday, September 5th, 2011It’s worth pausing to reflect that Valerie Morse went to the lengths of burning a flag at an Anzac Day dawn ceremony to shake us out of our complacency and start questioning our involvement in foreign conflicts (the banner she was trying to draw attention to specifically mentioned Afghanistan). Nicky Hager’s book suggests that we […]
« Previous Entries Next Entries »